Cartoning machine

ABSTRACT

A tissue handling apparatus is disclosed for receiving tissue clips and transferring the clips into positions suitable for insertion selectively into flat or cubic tissue cartons. The apparatus comprises a plurality of movable buckets for transferring clips for flat and cubic tissue cartons, the buckets having substantially flat bucket floors. A folding knife and transfer guide co-operate in bending clips for cubic cartons.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. EP05258032.1 filed Dec. 23, 2005, entitled “CARTONING MACHINE”. Thisreference is expressly incorporated by reference herein, in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cartoning machine, and in particularto a tissue cartoning machine for placing stacks, or “clips” of tissuesinto cartons.

In conventional cartoning machines, stacks of tissues, known as clips,are received and conveyed to the tissue cartons by a bucket conveyor.The cartons are moved adjacent the conveyor in a phased relationshipwith the clips. Once a clip is adjacent a carton, it is pushed sidewaysinto the carton.

Tissue cartons generally come in two different styles. The first styleis known as a regular, rectangular or flat carton. In this style ofcarton, clips of rectangular tissues are inserted in a substantiallyflat configuration into the carton. The second style is known as aboutique, cubic or upright carton. In this second style of carton,tissue clips are bent into a U-shape prior to insertion into the carton.

When regular cartons are filled, tissue clips are pushed lengthwise intothe carton through an open end of the carton. Thus, it is necessary forregular tissue clips to be orientated on the conveyor with their longside leading. By contrast, when boutique cartons are filled, the clipsare bent into a U-shape, and then pushed sideways into an open-sidedboutique carton. Thus it is necessary for boutique tissue clips to beoriented on the conveyor with their short side leading. WO 01/19679discloses a cartoning machine which can handle both flat and boutiqueconfigured clips. According to WO 01/19679 a transfer guide bucketconveyor is provided, which includes a plurality of buckets fortransferring the tissue clips to the cartons. Each bucket has atransverse channel in the bucket floor. The channel is narrower than thelength of the clips, but wider than the width of the clips.

In the system of WO 01/19679, all clips are initially fed into thebuckets so as to span the transverse channels in the bucket floors.Clips which are to be fed into regular cartons are then turned so thatthey drop into the channels. From there, they are pushed lengthwise intothe cartons. Clips which are to be fed into boutique cartons remainspanning the channels, and are pushed down in the middle into thechannels to form a U-shape. From this position the U-shape clips arepushed sideways into the boutique cartons.

A problem in the system of WO 01/19679 is that it is not able to handleclips of different widths, without changing the buckets. It may bedesirable to handle various sizes of tissue clips, in order to fillcartons of different sizes.

According to the present invention there is provided a tissue handlingapparatus for receiving tissue clips and transferring the clips intopositions suitable for insertion selectively into flat or cubic tissuecartons, the apparatus comprising a plurality of movable buckets fortransferring clips for flat and cubic tissue cartons, the buckets havingsubstantially flat bucket floors.

By providing buckets with substantially flat bucket floors, the presentinvention may provide the advantage that the apparatus can handle tissueof different widths, since the tissues do not have to be of the samewidth as a channel in the bucket floor. Furthermore, the presentinvention may allow a greater degree of flexibility in the length oftissues for boutique cartons, since these tissues do not have to be longenough to span a channel in the bucket floors. Thus the presentinvention may allow tissues of different sizes to be handled by the samemachine.

The apparatus may further comprise means for selectively turning tissueclips for insertion respectively into flat or cubic tissue cartons.Preferably, tissue clips for insertion into flat cartons are rotatedthrough approximately 90° with respect to tissue clips for insertioninto cubic cartons. This can allow tissue clips for flat cartons to beinserted lengthways into the cartons, and tissue clips for cubic cartonsto be inserted sideways into the cartons.

The turning means may comprise a pusher which is arranged to pushagainst one side only of a tissue clip. This can allow a clip to beturned using a simple mechanism. A plurality of pushers may be provided,and the or each pusher may move in synchronism with a respective bucket.

Each bucket may include an upright member about which a tissue clip canbe turned. This can allow the tissue clip to be rotated in the bucketusing a single side pusher. Furthermore, since the bucket has a flatfloor, a tissue clip is free to rotate about the upright member withoutimpedance.

The upright member may be, for example, a rounded wall, or it could be apost or upright rod. In the case of a post or rod, the post or roditself may rotate to aid the turning of the clip.

The position of the upright member on the bucket may be adjustable. Forexample, the bucket and the upright member may be arranged so that theupright member can be slid into different positions, or it may bepossible to press or bolt the upright member into different positions.This can allow the bucket to be adapted for tissue clips of differentsizes. However in some circumstances it may be possible to keep theupright member in the same position for tissue clips of different sizes.

The apparatus may further comprise a transfer guide for guiding a tissueclip as it is transferred into a carton. This may help to ensure asmooth transfer of the tissue clip into the carton. In addition, thetransfer guide may be shaped so as to assist in the bending of a clipfor a cubic carton. This may help to ensure that a tissue clip for acubic carton is fully bent into a U-shape before being inserted into thecarton. For example, the transfer guide may have at least one of: sidewalls which slope outwards; side walls with rounded tops; and side wallswhich increase in height in the direction of transfer of a clip into acarton.

Preferably a plurality of transfer guides are provided each of whichmoves in synchronism with a bucket.

In some embodiments the transfer guide itself may provide the main meansfor bending a tissue clip into a U-shape, and thus the apparatus may bearranged such that at least some tissues in a tissue clip aresubstantially flat before the tissue clip enters the transfer guide.This may reduce the complexity of the apparatus, in comparison to thesituation where pre-bending occurs.

The apparatus may further comprise a folding knife for bending clips forcubic cartons. The folding knife may act in combination with a transferguide to bend a clip for a cubic carton into a U-shape. The foldingknife may press against a tissue clip before or as the clip passes intoa transfer guide. The folding knife may cause some of the upper tissuesin the tissue clip to bend while the clip is on the flat bucket floor,and before insertion into the transfer guide, but does not necessarilyprovide any substantial pre-bending of the whole tissue clip.

The apparatus may further comprise a compression plate for compressingclips for flat cartons. This may assist with the insertion of tissueclips into flat cartons.

The compression plate may have side walls, which may help to ensure thatthe tissue clip is correctly aligned as it is inserted into the carton.Where side walls are provided, the spacing of the side walls preferablycorresponds to the width of a tissue clip. The height of the side wallsmay be approximately the same as or slightly less than that of acompressed clip, or some other height. In order to allow tissue clips ofdifferent sizes to be used, the side walls may be adjustable, and/or thecompression plate may be removable. However, in some embodiments thecompression plate is flat and no side walls are provided.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a methodof transferring tissue clips into positions suitable for insertionselectively into flat or cubic tissue cartons, the method comprisingtransferring the tissue clips in a plurality of moving buckets, thebuckets having substantially flat bucket floors.

Any of the apparatus features may also be provided as method features,and vice versa.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described,purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A tissue handling apparatus is disclosed for receiving tissue clips andtransferring the clips into positions suitable for insertion selectivelyinto flat or cubic tissue cartons. The apparatus comprises a pluralityof movable buckets for transferring clips for flat and cubic tissuecartons, the buckets having substantially flat bucket floors. A foldingknife and transfer guide co-operate in bending clips for cubic cartons.

One object of the present disclosure is to describe an improved tissuecartooning machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an overview of a cartoning machine according to anembodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 shows parts of a bucket forconveying a tissue clip. FIG. 3 shows parts of a turning unit. FIG. 4shows parts of a cartoning unit. FIG. 5 shows the shape of a transferguide. FIG. 6 shows parts of a compression plate for compressing regularclips.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the disclosure,reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in thedrawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of thedisclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated device and its use, and such furtherapplications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated thereinbeing contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art towhich the disclosure relates.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of a cartoning machine according to anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, clips of tissues 16are received on conveyor 10, which moves from right to left in FIG. 1.The conveyor 10 consists of a number of buckets mounted on chains, withone bucket being provided for each clip 16. The tissue clips 16 aretransferred by conveyor 10 to turning unit 12. In turning unit 12 theclips are selectively turned, depending on whether they are for regularcartons or boutique cartons. Clips which are for regular cartons areturned through 90°, while clips which are for boutique cartons are notturned.

From turning unit 12 the clips 16 are conveyed to cartoning unit 14. Thecartoning unit 14 includes a second conveyor 18 which runs parallel tothe conveyor 10. The second conveyor 18 conveys cartons which are to befilled with the tissue clips. In a first part 14 a of cartoning unit 14the cartons are inserted onto the second conveyor 18. In a second part14 b of cartoning unit 14 the clips are pushed into the cartons. In athird part 14 c of the cartoning unit the filled cartons are sealed anddischarged.

FIG. 2 shows parts of a bucket 20 for conveying a clip 16. Referring toFIG. 2, the bucket 20 has a flat bucket floor 22 for supporting a clip.The bucket floor has a length L and width W each of which areapproximately equal to the length of the largest clip that is to becarried by the bucket. Mounted on the bucket floor is a rounded wall 24.The distance D between the end of the rounded wall 24 and the edge ofthe bucket is approximately equal to the width of the largest clip thatis to be carried by the bucket.

The bucket 20 shown in FIG. 2 offers a high degree of flexibility interms of the size of clips that can be carried. The size of the bucketis determined by the size of the largest tissue clips which are to becarried. However smaller sized tissue clips can be carried with littleor no modification to the bucket 20.

If required, the position of the rounded wall 24 can be adjusted forclips of different sizes. For example, the rounded wall 24 for slideinto a different position for clips of different sizes, or it may bescrewed into different positions for clips of different sizes.

The bucket 20 is mounted on two chains (not shown) which move the bucketin the machine direction. In FIG. 2 the machine direction is from leftto right. In operation, clips are initially placed on the bucket withtheir short side leading. If the clips are to be inserted into regularcartons, then they are turned through 90° so that their long side isleading, while if they are to be inserted into boutique cartons they arenot turned.

FIG. 3 shows parts of a turning unit 12. In FIG. 3, the turning unit isconfigured to turn tissue clips through 90°, so that they are in anorientation suitable for insertion into a regular carton. In FIG. 3, thebuckets 20 are mounted on chains 26, 28, which convey the buckets fromleft to right. A number of pushers 30 are mounted on chains 34, 36. Thechains 34, 36 convey the pushers 30 in a direction parallel to thebuckets 20, so that the pushers 30 move in synchronism with the buckets20.

Referring to FIG. 3, clips 16 are initially received on buckets 20 withtheir short edge leading. In this orientation, each clip is located witha long edge lying against the end of a rounded wall 24. As a clip 16moves through the turning unit, a pusher 30 begins to push one side ofthe clip at a point towards the end of the clip. This causes the clip tostart turning about the rounded wall 24. As the amount of turningapproaches 90°, the pusher 30 moves alongside the clip, parallel to itslong edge. This completes the turning of the clip through 90°, andensures that the clip is correctly aligned with its long edge leading.

The pusher 30 is provided with an end stop 32, which contacts the shortedge of the clip when the pusher is fully extended. This ensures thecorrect alignment of the clip in the direction perpendicular to thedirection of travel.

The pusher 30 then withdraws, and the clip is conveyed onwards towardsthe cartoning unit.

When the cartoning machine is configured for boutique cartons, thepushers 30 are disabled, and the tissue clips 16 pass through theturning unit without being turned.

FIG. 4 shows parts of a cartoning unit 14. The cartoning unit of FIG. 4is configured for filling boutique style tissue cartons.

Referring to FIG. 4, tissue clips 16 for boutique cartons are receivedin the cartoning unit with their short edge leading, and are transferredin the machine direction on buckets 20. A second conveyor is providedwhich runs in the machine direction parallel to the buckets 20, andwhich transfers the tissue cartons 40. A third conveyor 42 is locatedbetween buckets 20 and cartons 40, and moves in synchronism with thebuckets and cartons. The third conveyor 42 carries transfer guides 44,which are used to assist in the transfer of the clips 16 between thebuckets 20 and the cartons 40.

The cartoning unit includes a plurality of folding knives 46 which arelocated above the clips and which move in the machine direction insynchronism with the clips 16.

A plurality of pushers 48 are located to one side of the clips 16, andalso move in the machine direction in synchronism with the clips.

As a clip 16 moves through the cartoning unit, a folding knife 46descends across the middle of the clip, causing the clip to startbending. This initial bending takes place while the clip is still on theflat bucket floor. As the clip bends, a pusher 48 moves towards theclip, and starts pushing it in the direction of the correspondingtransfer guide 44. The transfer guides 44 are arranged with rounded andsloping walls. As the pusher 48 pushes the tissue clip into the transferguide 44, the sloped walls of the transfer guide 44, in combination withthe folding knife 46, cause the tissue clip 16 to bend into a U-shape.The U-shaped tissue clip is then pushed through the transfer guide 44and into the carton 40. The filled carton is then transferred to thenext section of the machine for sealing and discharge.

FIG. 5 shows the shape of a transfer guide 44. The transfer guide 44 hasa floor 50 and two side walls 52, 54. The tops of the side walls arerounded, and slope upwards in the direction of movement of the clipsinto the cartons. In addition, each of the side walls slopes outwards toa certain extent. This shape assists in the bending of the boutiqueclips into a U-shape. The side walls may also taper inwards in thedirection of travel of the clips.

The sloped walls of the transfer guides 44 can allow tissue clips ofdifferent lengths to be bent into a U-shape without requiringmodification. However in some circumstances it may be preferred toreplace the transfer guides 44 with guides of different dimensions whendifferent sized tissues are to be used. Since relatively few transferguides are used, in comparison with the number of buckets, this is amodification which can be made relatively quickly and easily.

When the cartoning unit is configured for filling regular cartons thefolding knifes 46 are replaced with compression plates. In thisconfiguration the tissue clips are received with their long edgeleading. As a tissue clip passes through the cartoning unit, acompression plate descends and compresses the clip. A pusher 48 thenpushes the compressed clip through the corresponding transfer guide 44and into a regular carton.

FIG. 6 shows parts of a compression plate for compressing regular clips.The compression plate 60 includes an inside surface 62 which is presseddown on the clips in order to compress them. The compression plate 60also includes side walls 64, 66. The side walls 64, 66 ensure that theclip stays in the correct orientation as it is pushed by the pusher 48into the carton. The side walls shown in FIG. 6 are exemplary, and sidewalls of various different heights may be used.

The side walls of the compression plate 60 are spaced at a distancewhich corresponds to the width of a tissue clip. If a tissue clip of adifferent size is to be used, then the compression plate is replacedwith one having the appropriate spacing between the side walls. However,since relatively few compression plates are used in the machine, this isa modification which can be made quickly and easily. Alternativelycompression plates having no side walls could be used for variousdifferent sizes of tissues.

The cartoning apparatus described above offers a high degree offlexibility in terms of the size of tissue clips that can be handled. Inparticular, it is not necessary for regular tissue clips to fit into achannel in the bucket floor, nor is it necessary for boutique tissueclips to span a channel. This can allow tissue cartons of various sizesto be filled with tissue clips of various sizes with little or nomodification to the machine.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it beingunderstood that all changes and modifications that come within thespirit of the invention are desired to be protected.

1. A tissue handling apparatus arranged to receive tissue clips and totransfer the clips into positions suitable for insertion selectivelyinto flat or cubic tissue cartons, the apparatus comprising a pluralityof movable buckets arranged to transfer clips for flat and cubic tissuecartons, the buckets having substantially flat bucket floors. 2.Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a turning unitconfigured selectively to turn tissue clips for insertion respectivelyinto flat or cubic tissue cartons.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2,wherein tissue clips for insertion into flat cartons are rotated throughapproximately 90° with respect to tissue clips for insertion into cubiccartons.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the turning unitcomprises a pusher which is arranged to push against one side only of atissue clip.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each bucketincludes an upright member about which a tissue clip can be turned. 6.Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the upright member comprises arounded wall.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the position ofthe upright member on the bucket is adjustable.
 8. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, further comprising a transfer guide which guides a tissueclip as it is transferred into a carton.
 9. Apparatus according to claim8, wherein the transfer guide is shaped so as to assist in the bendingof a clip for a cubic carton.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9,wherein the transfer guide has at least one of: side walls which slopeoutwards; side walls with rounded tops; and side walls which increase inheight in the direction of transfer of a clip into a carton. 11.Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the height of the side walls issubstantially the same as that of the bucket floors at the ends of theside walls adjacent the buckets.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 8,wherein the transfer guide is shaped to assist in bending clips havingat least some tissues which are substantially flat before the clipenters the transfer guide.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein aplurality of transfer guides are provided each of which moves insynchronism with a bucket.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 8, furthercomprising a folding knife, wherein the folding knife and the transferguide are arranged co-operate in bending clips for cubic cartons. 15.Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a folding knife whichat least partially bends at least some tissues in clips for cubiccartons while the clips are on the flat bucket floors.
 16. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising a compression plate whichcompresses clips for flat cartons.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 16wherein the compression plate has side walls.
 18. A method oftransferring tissue clips into positions suitable for insertionselectively into flat or cubic tissue cartons, the method comprisingtransferring the tissue clips in a plurality of moving buckets, thebuckets having substantially flat bucket floors.